Chapter 654 (Patreon)

Aranor P.O.V.

As I look at the two squads gathered here with us I can’t help but question how many of them are going to survive this upcoming engagement. It might seem like we have a good numbers advantage but it's all a facade since we have two squads of ten to the enemy’s one. We have four champions while the enemy has seven, theirs might be weaker on average but they almost outnumber us two to one. I just hope Aurexion’s plan works out and that Ajax can pull some of their attention away to give us a good chance to level the field. 

“Both armies ‘re being so conservative.” My fellow champion comments. “They know they’re just an opening act for our battle.” 

While this was usually the case with the number of champions present this time neither side wanted to overcommit their forces only to have them decimated by a large number of champions jumping in all at once.

“This will be a dangerous fight for you.” As a physically focused champion I know the dwarf will be in a lot of danger since he will be acting as my shield as I draw the enemy champions in to give Ajax a better chance at striking at their mages.

“Won’t be anything I can’t ‘andle.” I can tell he is trying to reassure himself just as much as he is trying to ease my own nerves about the upcoming battle. 

“They’ve got to be making their move soon.” Regis comments, I can tell he is upset by the plan, his liege lord’s heir is being put under a lot of risk by this battle taking place, if it goes well for the enemy they might just execute him to aggravate the infighting between the Republic, if it goes too badly they might just kill him in a fit of rage. “Be ready Lord Starfury.” 

Much like Regis predicted I could already track two champions making their move at the same time in the seconds that followed. Not a bad plan sending two people at once, clearly they are wary of Aurexion just swooping down like he did last time only this time he could be burning a quarter of their army if he is not routed.

I don’t waste any time now that I have a target as I signal both squads and my fellow champion to be ready as I start chanting one of my stronger spells. Avalanche is a calculated move that should be able to buy time for my own allies to regroup against the overwhelming power of the enemy as soon as I finish chanting it, I just can’t be interrupted since the spell is so fragile. It’s a good thing their mages are so wary of Ajax since they won’t be in range to really mess with my own Mana.

The reaction to the massive two and a half thousand Mana that Avalanche channels is instant and I can see four champions as well as nine members remaining of the enemy squad are charging for us. It seems they left a physical champion to defend their own mages. 

“Only one of the fleabitten mutts stayed back.” Regis cursed as he realized what was happening. “Here’s hoping the kid pulls through and can keep the mages busy or we might all be done for.” 

Now came the part I hated the most about being a mage. Watching my allies clash and not being able to do anything because I am chanting my spell. I have to keep my focus on the spell and watch as they do their best to buy me time and survive.

The clash is a moment away from happening when I catch sight of Aurexion diving towards the mages. Good thing, it will just be twenty one against thirteen with their mages forced to react to Ajax. The numbers might look good for our side but it's one champion against four  until I finish my cast. 

The moment the clash happens the difference in quality is immediately obvious. One of their hybrid champions instantly locks up our physical champion. So that’s the plan they are going with, instead of trying to kill us champions they are just looking to keep him busy as they either charge for me or rip apart the two squads with us. 

The next moment brings the answer to that question as well as I see only one of the champions moving to attack me, damn it. They managed to read my spell well enough to know I’m not looking to launch a devastating attack with it. They’re going after our squads. 

Two champions start tearing through our squads with impunity, one of our people has already gotten a deep slash to his belly and is fighting to keep his organs on the inside and I haven’t even finished my spell yet. 

But then I see it. Ajax has killed one of their champions and is moving for the second, With Aurexion keeping their defender out of the way it seems like our plan might actually work. The fight’s only been going on for a few seconds yet I can feel the indecision in the enemies movements.

That moment of hesitation is the only reason three of our squad members are only wounded and not dead as their champions try and decide if they should back up to support their last remaining mage or push to get some revenge kills. I’m sorry Ajax, I hope Arianwyn was right about you having something special ready.

I finally finish casting Avalanche, a massive amount of snow and ice cuts across the battlefield forcing the enemy to disengage slightly or be trapped under my spell. Sadly this is the last push they need and two of their champions turn around and dash to help deal with Ajax and Aurexion. Worse yet I see that Ajax failed to kill the second mage as he used Encasing Rock Skip to get himself away from Ajax’s charge.

“Go on the offensive!” I yell at our allies, we can’t let Ajax and Aurexion fight a two versus four, especially not now that they lost the element of surprise.

Then it happens. I can feel a sense of absolute dread wash over me as I feel a massive amount of Mana being burned by Ajax. What is this? The field surrounding him that usually sucks in all Mana has disappeared yet he is burning more Mana than his channels can handle, is this what Arianwyn was talking about.  He raises his axe and moves to take a step and then he’s gone, a small crater all that is left in the place he stood. 

What just happened? Thankfully my [Sense Mana] has a wider field than my eyesight that lets me know where Ajax moved to, he moved so fast my eyes could keep up with him. Hells he moved so fast his own leg broke when he moved to stop. But the most shocking part of the scene my eyes are straining to take in is the flying arm still holding the axe of the champion that was moving to engage with Ajax.

What was that? How did he move like that? How did his leg heal so fast, even with his formless casting and Life Mana his flesh shouldn’t be stitching itself back together so quickly. And then he was gone again, another step, this one more controlled. I barely managed to see the blur of his body as he appeared before the mage once again, his bones held up to stopping this time and didn’t break and poke out through his skin yet I could see the knee bend more than it should be able to, he clearly ripped some tendons there. 

Even more Mana was being channeled as Ajax swung his axe, a Mana I recognised, Magama. The mage’s defences meant nothing as he body was cut in half and scorched by the strike, a strike so powerful Ajax couldn’t even keep a hold of his axe as I saw it flying from his grip towards the enemy force that was backing up their champions.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA” A cold malicious laughter filled the air, one that I realized came from the dragon that was taking advantage of the surprise everyone else was experiencing to batter the champion he had been fighting. Clearly the beastkin lost his concentration when Ajax killed their second mage and was now paying for it. 

It took a moment for me to realize that everyone on our side had stopped, for the last two seconds we had all just stood there and gaped as we watched Ajax brutalize two champions with the ease any champion would take on an elite. “Don’t let them run.” I called out breaking the moment of stillness and pushing us on the offensive officially. 

Ajax wasn’t done yet it seemed, he was already moving on to his fourth target, with his axe gone he now wielded a hammer that I could see was being imbued with Void. That terrifying Mana that as far as I knew nobody else used or had been able to reliably figure out how to deal with. 

I could tell however that something was wrong. Even as our squads turned the tide and we started chasing down trying to kill and capture our enemies with the numbers on our side actually mattering, Aurexion's laughter had abruptly cut off. Instead of finishing off the champion he was fighting Aurexion simply slapped him aside with his tail as he flew towards Ajax whose blow just exploded the side of his opponent.

It still surprised me how fast the massive dragon was as he barely slowed down as he barreled through the spot Ajax was standing and was already almost to our position with Ajax and his opponent each secured in one of his claws. He didn’t even pay the rest of us any attention as he flew straight past us and towards the camp. 

“Keep going now is our chance.” We couldn’t give up this opportunity just because Ajax had left, he had killed two champions , taken out a third as he left and Aurexion just battered a fourth and a fifth was missing an entire arm. This was our battle to win. “And Regis, get me his axe!” 

I knew that the axe had been a gift Ajax had received and the first weapon with a decent size Mana gem he had ever gotten and I intended to make sure he got it back. But first let's see if we can catch some more of the fleeing rats. The words left my lips with a smile I couldn’t hold back as my next spells flowed. Once I was done here however there were a lot of questions I would have for Ajax.